I’ve been noodling on a better way to organize the cords and electronic detritus associated with various iPods, phones, laptops, etc. when I travel, and saw this tutorial on Pinterest a month or so ago.

I like the idea: pouch for large bits plus elastic bands to tuck cords into. I wasn’t too fond of how the pouch actually attached to the rest, though, since it’s just stuck on with snaps.

After I took the Sew Sturdy Travel Organizers class on Craftsy, I knew I had the answer to the zipper pouch issue, so here’s what I ended up with.

I jazzed up the elastic bands by covering them with fabric. My zipper pouch is attached to the organizer itself the same way as my hanging cosmetic organizer.

It did take a bit of experimenting with the size, and I maybe should have the pouch a bit smaller. Alas, it works regardless!

I used a slider I had in the button box for the closure, likely an inheritance from Grama Eddie’s collection, and added a hair elastic to the top so I could hang it up on my desk. This means I can hold all the bits and cords that Nina likes to shove off the desk when she’s feeling frisky (read: ALL THE TIME).

Unfurled, it measures 9 x 18″, and folded up it’s 9 x 9″ or so.

I used some my precious Catnap fabric to make since I’m trying to be better about using fabric I like rather than any old piece. Imagine me stroking the fat quarters and muttering “My preciousssss….” before cutting into them; it’s a pretty accurate visual.

This weekend I finished the “Sew Sturdy Travel Organizers” class on Craftsy from Annie Unrein.  Knowing I have a couple trips coming up, I was particularly interested in the hanging cosmetics organizer.

I chose a fun Kaffe Fasset fabric for the exterior with a lime houndstooth for the interior and a purple for the accents.

I purchased the hardware kit from byAnnie.com since I didn’t know that I could find all the hardware in the right sizes, and didn’t want to have to resort to purchasing large amounts of mesh just for the one project.

I like how the straps are made - as fabric tubes that then get nylon webbing fed through it to make it very sturdy.  Having that firmness in the strap is what keeps the D-rings and other hardware from twisting within the loops.

I don’t have a teflon foot for my machine when sewing the vinyl, so I just used the tissue paper backing between the vinyl and the presser foot and that worked fine.

The bottom zipper pouch goes together easier than I expected, although still requires some pinning and slow sewing.  I was inspired by how it went together, though, so look for another finished project soon on that idea!

Fair warning, between the class cost ($39.99 regular, and I got it on sale at $19.99), the package of Soft & Stable (which I bought bigger than needed for this project since I use it for other projects), and the hardware kit (~$38 on the byAnnie.com website), and the fabric, it’s a pretty hefty cost for the one project.  If I make the other project in the class, that does lower the cost-per-unit, and you might consider hunting around for the various elements if you’re concerned about cost. Also, the “kit” on Craftsy is only for the fabric, not the hardware.

Having said that, I already used the pocket-making skill on another project so I’m happy with the value for the cost. Also, Jett won’t stop sleeping on this when it’s folded up so it’s a pretty nice cat bed, too. Sigh.

I got to test another pattern from Sara at Sew Sweetness recently, and I’m quite pleased with the project!  The pattern is called the Tudor Bag, and it’s a “beginner friendly” bag with lots of add-on options. Me, being me, added pretty much all of them on.

My options used were exterior zipper pocket, top zipper closure, and shorter handles.  I didn’t do the long shoulder strap, mostly because I lacked the hardware when I was making it.

I picked an large scale Amy Butler fabric for the exterior with a fun houndstooth for the accents.  The interior is another Amy Butler print.

The interior has additional pockets that are sewn into the seams and divided so your stuff stays sort of organized. As with most of Sara’s bags, she recommends Soft & Stable, which gives it some nice body and shape.  If you’ve been looking for a basic tote pattern with some not-so-scary options, give it a try!